Unidad Latina

When discussing issues in Latin America, many speak about how from the beginning of time, Latin America has been exploited by others since the conquest. From the conquest riches like gold and silver were taken away and profited by Europeans. Later and even still to this day, the natural resources are taken away.

John Charles Chasteen, mentions the book Open Veins of Latin America by Eduardo Galeano, I read this book in one of my Spanish classes, Latin American civilization. We looked at it and discussed the issues of Latin America, because yes Europeans and Americans have always been involved in Latin America. They are involved with exploiting resources, gaining from Latin Americas resources, and what ends up happening is that through it all the only thing, the only ones that suffer, is Latin America. Because of the way Europeans and Americans have been involved, by stealing and profiting from Latin America. Latin America has nothing to show for, they are left poor and with out a way to lift themselves back up.

What is discussed in chapter 9, what Galeano writes on in his book Open Veins of Latin America, and even Ernesto "Che" Guevara has spoken on this same idea, is that of Latin America from Mexico including the Caribbean going south to the southern tips of Argentina and Chile, and all in between, they are all Latin Americans, they should not see it as being all different but all as one, as Latin Americans, and together, they could stand against Europeans, Americans, and Capitalists. This is something the Che Guevara tried so hard to accomplish, for Latinos to see this idea of unity, but it did not succeed, but imagine the world today if it would have succeeded, Latin America would be completely different. Latin America is full of potential, even greater that Europe and the United States, but there is no unity.

However what is seen, and Che Guevara had a lot to do with this, was that of organizing and bringing people together. This was done through the ideas on revolution. Che Guevara traveled from Argentina north through South America, he saw the way the indigenous people lived and how capitalism and foreigners destroyed Latin America. This is where he begins to think differently on politics and all the corruption he sees with the foreign companies in Latin America. He then meets Fidel Castro, a Cuban revolutionary, together they begin this idea of unity among Latin Americans.

Another personal experience I have on this topic is that from another Spanish class, we read about Women Authors in Latin America, one author was Gioconda Bella, a Nicaraguan and Sandinista, writes about her role in her book El pais bajo mi piel. A women's role in a revolution, how she worked to defeat Somoza, and how she met Fidel Castro, and she used and practiced using weapons as a woman. How Fidel helped her and Nicaragua through a revolution to defeat Somoza.

So this idea of unity among Latinos is seen but it is not that strong as it should be, for Latinos to become the strong people they are, there needs to be more unity. One can see this unity in the past, with Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, and Gioconda Belli. But I think that Latinos today in Latin America and here in the United States are not aware of the events and history of Latinos, and we need to become educated on these topics, so that there can be unity among Latin Americans.

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